The present invention relates generally to an improved version of the type of baglock used to secure slide fasteners of flexible money or security bags. Such bags are commonly used to transport money, valuable financial and personal papers, etc. Added security is required to protect against unauthorized opening through picking or other means and against accidental openings when these bags pass through deposit chutes or when the bags are inadvertently dropped. Insurance companies may dispute or disclaim coverage where there is no external evidence of unauthorized opening, such as a cut bag or damaged lock. Therefore, the high security requirement that the bag lock cannot be easily picked or otherwise defeated, is of primary importance.
Generally, the bag lock utilizes the anvil and rotatable keeper concept in order to confine the slide of a slide fastener on a fabric bag in the closed position or to swing out of the way to release the slide so that the bag may be opened.
Prior early versions, such as described in the Hurt U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,986, were secured through the use of lock tumblers alone. These methods proved easily defeatible by picking, as well as subject to accidental opening when dropped.
Subsequent approaches utilized pop-up type keeper arms as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,580,016; 3,653,236; and 3,785,185. While such construction provided some degree of added security, these devices were more bulky and complex, involve complicated assembly processes and increased manufacturing costs.
Another version as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,485 utilizes the higher security of an axial pin tubular-type lock and a cam actuator in the base of the housing. However, this still presented the difficulties of complicated assembly and increased manufacturing costs.
A more recent approach is Steinbach U.S. Pat No. 4,249,402 which utilized a spring-loaded locking bar at the base of the housing that served as an added locking feature. However, the stem of the locking bar, while providing a feel to the key, did not extend upward into the axial keyway sufficiently to affect the functioning of the tumblers. In this configuration, the locking action was easily defeated with a multiple probe tool which merely needed to depress the locking bar and rake the tumblers in order to defeat the lock. This delineated a requirement for increased security.